Only one-third of native-born Americans with an undergraduate STEM degree holding a job actually work in a STEM occupation.

Despite the economic downturn, Census Bureau data show that, between 2007 and 2012, about 700,000 new immigrants who have STEM degrees were allowed to settle in the country, yet at the same time, total STEM employment grew by only about 500,000.

Using the most common definition of STEM jobs, total STEM employment in 2012 was 5.3 million workers (immigrant and native), but there are 12.1 million STEM degree holders (immigrant and native).

There isn’t a shortage of STEM workers; what we have is a shortage of STEM jobs!

Michael Teitelbaum, a Senior Research Associate at the Harvard Law School, wrote a book called "Falling Behind" which documents his studies on STEM talent vs. job openings. According to a Forbes article discussing the STEM worker situation, America "produces far more science and engineering graduates annually than there are S&E job openings—the only disagreement is whether it is 100 percent or 200 percent more."

Why do we have this discrepancy? As our previous Reshoring News pieces have argued, there are two primary reasons: